Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Though I was never much of a real wargamer, I did enjoy simulation games of various sorts -- "light" wargames intended for a mass audience, like the one advertised in issue #91 (November 1984):

Broadsides & Boarding Parties was one of several games released by Milton Bradley as part of their "Gamemaster Series," which featured simple, wargame-like games that had some really high production values. My personal favorite was not the one pictured here but the Roman era game called Conquest of the Empire. Conquest had some issues in terms of gameplay, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. And of course Axis & Allies was -- and is -- a classic game that's still available today. It's just a pity that it takes nearly as long to set it up as it does to play it ...

22 comments:

"Conquest Of The Empire" was rereleased a few years ago by a different company - it's HUGE! They included two separate sets of rules that use the same board and pieces, so you can take your pick from classic gaming (with the catapult rules 'fixed') or a whole new Roman Empire-themed game.

Those MB "Gamemaster Series" boardgames rocked! The guy who introduced me into D&D, also introduced me to Shogun and A&A. Also I remember playing a lot of Fortress America (along with Divine Right) in high school. They are all really enjoyable, once you get past the learning-curve.

I wish they would re-release those old games. I know Hasbro (yes, they own MB) - using the AH subsidiary - would just make a lot of changes, but if its anything like A&A, they might actually improve upon the games with smoother rules & game-play, additional content, and nicer props (the styrofoam trays from Shogun sucks!).

Got introduced to A&A in college. As a big history buff, it's super fun to play as the axis and try to re-write history. Though, as Germany, you're screwed unless the Japs can smash Pearl Harbor AND make a worth while bid for the American mainland. And woe to thee if your Luftwaffe craps out over Britain.

After years of searching, I finally traded for a copy of B&B within the last year. It was missing a few pieces, but I found replacements for a decent price on eBay.

Beautiful game! Like Biopunk said, woe to anyone who bumps the game board and sends both crews sprawling onto the decks. Definitely not a game to be played on a flimsy card table. Get a thick oak dining table or, better yet, play on a concrete slab.

For 1984, those are a couple of uncool looking dudes. Guys you see back then driving around LA in a van together, cruising slow past teenage girls. I bet they are playing that game on a Saturday night in mom's basement. The taller guy in the blue shirt wanted to do D&D, but they couldn't get anybody else to come over.

They look and dress a lot like Buono and Bianchi, the Hillside Stranglers, playing the game in LA county jail.

Can you cite me a style guide where this is laid out, because I can't recall a single one where the issue of game titles is raised? I've always treated games as "works of art" like books or paintings and so italicized their titles. If that's wrong, I'd appreciate some evidence of my error from a contemporary style guide.

How the heck are you changing the font style on your posts? I can't even get it to keep italics or bold when I paste in text that already has that formatting, and I certainly haven't figured out a way to change style in the blog itself.

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